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UK heat policy document published

Recommendations for urgent action are included in the Next steps for UK heat policy report produced by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).

Covering buildings of all types throughout the UK, the document has numerous implications for the FM sector and the heating of facilities.

Government initiatives to meet the requirements of the Climate Change Act and the Paris Agreement have stalled, the report states.

A new set of objectives are urgently required to allow decisions to be made about decarbonising the grid within the next Parliament.

Options include the use of hydrogen, heat pumps and injecting biomethane into the gas grid to reduce emissions generated by heating technologies in the UK’s building stock.

However, large-scale deployment of hydrogen would also require the inclusion of carbon capture and storage (CCS), but there are no current government initiatives to develop this following the cancellation of the previous CCS scheme.

Measures should be clearly set out in the forthcoming Emissions Reduction Plan, the report states, paving the way immediate action to meet the aims of the UK’s fourth and fifth carbon budgets.

Recommended actions include:A stable framework and direction of travel, backed up by standards for the emissions performance of buildings that would tighten over time;A joined-up approach to energy efficiency and low-carbon heat that works across the building stock, and focuses on real-world performance where possible;Simple, highly-visible information and certification alongside installer training to ensure that low-carbon options are understood by consumers and that installers are effective and trusted; A well-timed offer to households and SMEs that is aligned to ‘trigger points’, such as house moves, when refurbishment is least disruptive;Consistent price signals that clearly encourage affordable, low-carbon choices.